Western expansion in North America has mainly been described as either a linear sequence energized by nineteenth-century nation-building processes at a moving frontier, or as the practice of settler colonialism and its exploitation of resources and displacement of nonwhite peoples. This book suggests that shifting the focus from this binary pattern towards spatial imaginations and spatialization processes—a new theoretical framework developed at SFB 1199—provides novel insights into the placemaking dynamics of the American West. It brings to light a discursive diversity that often contradicts unidirectional interpretive patterns. It becomes clear that while some discourses solidified into spatial metanarratives like the character-shaping clash of civilizations at the frontier or manifest destiny, alternative spatial imaginations exist juxtaposed to or obfuscated by canonical interpretations. Making use of a variety of sources (including works of literature, poetry, newspapers, paintings, and speeches) to access spatialization processes on several sociocultural scales, the book presents a careful exploration of the parameters that inform(ed) the creation, affirmation, and subversion of spatial imagination of the American West throughout the nineteenth century from the perspective of American Studies.

'Leo Ruickbie's impeccably-written The Impossible Zoo is a menagerie like no other, as its exotic inhabitants are fabulous in every sense of the word. So for anyone who has ever wished that dragons and unicorns were real, for anyone who believes that they are, and for anyone who peruses bestiaries with unbridled joy, this magical, mystical, and truly memorable book is definitely for you - and for me!' Dr Karl Shuker, author of A Manifestation of Monsters HERE BE DRAGONS! Here you will find the things that once made the woods wild and the nights to be feared; that made ancient map-makers write, 'Here be Dragons'. The Impossible Zoo is a biology of the supernatural - a study of the life of things that never lived. This world of mermaids and unicorns, now confined to fantasy, but once believed to exist, is a world of the imagination that still affects us today. Wonderfully illustrated throughout, it also provides sources as a guide to further study and exploration. 'For anyone who has ever wished that dragons and unicorns were real, this magical, mystical and truly memorable book is definitely for you - and for me!' Dr Karl Shuker, author of A Manifestation of Monsters 'Ruickbie's level of scholarship is impressive and he presents his conclusions with great literary skill in readable and attractive prose. The results are truly fascinating. Very highly recommended.' Revd Lionel Fanthorpe, FRSA, author and President of the Association for the Scientific Study of Anomalous Phenomena

Robert Penn Warren once wrote West is where we all plan to go some day, and indeed, images of the westernmost United States provide a mythic horizon to American cultural landscape. While the five states (California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawai'i) which touch Pacific waters do share commonalities within the history of westward expansion, the peoples who settled the region—and the indigenous peoples they encountered—have created spheres of culture that defy simple categorization. This wide-ranging reference volume explores the marvelously eclectic cultures that define the Pacific region. From the music and fashion of the Pacific northwest to the film industry and surfing subcultures of southern California, from the vast expanses of the Alaskan wilderness to the schisms between native and tourist culture in Hawa'ii, this unprecedented reference provides a detailed and fascinating look at American regionalism along the Pacific Rim. The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures is the first rigorous reference collection on the many ways in which American identity has been defined by its regions and its people. Each of its eight regional volumes presents thoroughly researched narrative chapters on Architecture; Art; Ecology & Environment; Ethnicity; Fashion; Film & Theater; Folklore; Food; Language; Literature; Music; Religion; and Sports & Recreation. Each book also includes a volume-specific introduction, as well as a series foreword by noted regional scholar and former National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman William Ferris, who served as consulting editor for this encyclopedia.

Herein you will find seventeen stories of adventure and legend from Vancouver Island, or the land known as Wakash Nation. Stories like “The Legend Of The Thunder Birds”, “How Shewish Became A Great Whale Hunter”, “The Finding Of The Tsomass” and of course “The Legends of Eut-Le-Ten”, Vancouver Island’s own Maui. Here you will read stories of the lone Indian paddling his canoe on the waters of the Western sounds, savouring the scent of cedar hidden amongst the Toh-a-mupt, or Sitca, spruce, with it’s scaly bark and prickly spine; the feathery foliage of the Quilth-kla-mupt, the western hemlock. The frond-like branches and aromatic scent betray to him the much-prized Hohm-ess, the giant cedar tree, from which he carves his staunch canoe. These are the woods in which Eut-Le-Ten roamed and hunted and dreamed of winning the hand of Nas-nas-shup’s daughter who resided in land beyond the sky. Enamoured with this thought, Eut-Le-Ten shot arrow after arrow towards heaven making a rope of shafts. Then when his rope was high enough, he climbed the rope to land above and beyond to claim the hand of Nas-nas-shup’s daughter. Read about this in “The Arrow Chain To Heaven”. But claiming his princess would not be as simple as he thought. Armed with the charms he received after helping “The Two Blind Squaws”, he had to overcome “The Four Terrors Guarding The House Of Nas-Nas-Shup” and the endure “The Trial By Fire” before he could eventually claim his bride. Eut-le-ten eventually returned to earth and was counted as a chief more learned than any that had ever been. So, after you have downloaded this unique volume, find a comfy chair and be prepared to be entertained. YESTERDAY'S BOOKS FOR TODAY'S CHARITIES 10% of the profit from the sale of this book will be donated to charities ========== TAGS: Indian Legends, native American, American Indian, Vancouver island, Nanaimo, folklore, fairy tales, myths, legends, children’s stories, bedtime, fables, Pen Picture, Barkley Sound, Summer Home, Seshahts, Thunder Birds, Shewish, Great Whale Hunter, Finding, Tsomass, Legend Of Eut-Le-Ten, Witch, E-Ish-So-Oolth, Birth, Quest, Ogre, Destruction, Release Of The Children, Adventures, Arrow Chain To Heaven, Two Blind Squaws, Four Terrors, Guarding, House Of Nas-Nas-Shup, Trial By Fire, Astronomy, north west coast, Wakash Nation

Popular Hopi kachina dolls and awesome totem poles are but two of the aspects of the sophisticated, seldom-examined network of mythologies explored in this fascinating volume. This revealing work introduces readers to the mythologies of Native Americans from the United States to the Arctic Circle—a rich, complex, and diverse body of lore, which remains less widely known than mythologies of other peoples and places. In thematic chapters and encyclopedia-style entries, Handbook of Native American Mythology examines the characters and deities, rituals, sacred locations and objects, concepts, and stories that define and distinguish mythological cultures of various indigenous peoples. By tracing the traditions as far back as possible and following their evolution from generation to generation, Handbook of Native American Mythology offers a unique perspective on Native American history, culture, and values. It also shows how central these traditions are to contemporary Native American life, including the continuing struggle for land rights, economic parity, and repatriation of cultural property.